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AJ Howell-Williams
Director of Transfer, Athletics and International Admission
A.J. is a native of San Jose, CA but has spent time in each of the four corners of the country. A former transfer student and athlete, A.J. oversees the Transfer process and is the Admission liaison for Athletics recruitment. An admission veteran, A.J. has worked in higher education for over a decade and is also a published author.
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Becky Konowicz
Dean of Undergraduate Admission
Becky has been working in university admissions since 2004 and arrived at Santa Clara in 2013. As Dean, she is responsible for setting and leading the strategic direction of all admission and recruitment efforts for first-year and transfer students, including oversight of all technical, and marketing initiatives. Having lived abroad and spent the early part of her career working with international students, she finds continued enjoyment in working with students from all backgrounds and experiences to support their journey towards a higher education degree. Having served on various panels, boards and committees, she most recently volunteered on the Executive Board for the International Association for College Admission Counseling (International ACAC). Becky lives in Campbell, CA with her husband and enjoys the access to the beach and mountains that the Bay Area affords.
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Eryn Olson
Sr. Associate Director of Admission (Marketing & Communications)
Born and raised in a beach suburb of Los Angeles, Eryn moved up to northern California to start her life as a Bronco in 2012. While working for the Santa Clara Magazine, she enjoyed meeting and writing about current students and alumni. Now, as Associate Director in Undergraduate Admission, she helps prospective students and families see if SCU fits as part of their life story, too.
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Eva Blanco Masias
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Eva has been with the Undergraduate Admission Office since 2003. As VP for Enrollment Management, she serves on the president's cabinet and oversees the operations of undergraduate admission, university financial aid, and enrollment services. Eva worked for ten years in Latino media as a leader in ad sales and marketing for several start-up operations launching into Latin American and the U.S. Hispanic market, including Fox Latin American Channel, USA Networks, Discovery Networks, and El Sition.com. She has served on several boards and committees of local and national non-profit organizations and is currently President of the National Catholic College Admission Association. Originally from Venice Beach, Eva lives in San Jose with her husband and young daughter.
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Lorenzo Gamboa
Director of Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach
Lorenzo is originally from a very small town with eight graduating seniors in his public high school class. Coming from a close-knit community, he is familiar with the assumptions and fears one may have when considering leaving town for college. Reflecting on his own journey of college, he aspires to clarify the daunting experience for other first-generation students that he once faced himself. Lorenzo has over ten years of experience in college advising and currently oversees new initiatives.
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Randy Wang
Senior Associate Director of Strategic Engagement
Although Randy was born in Boston, he grew up and attended school in San Jose. As the first person in his family to attend college, he hopes to share his experiences with other students looking for advice. As a former teacher, he is passionate about education and has always been committed to helping students reach their goals!
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Nayeli Carmona Perez
Admission Counselor
Nayeli is a former transfer and first-generation college student from Santa Clara University. Prior to becoming an undergraduate admission counselor, Nayeli has worked as an attorney’s assistant for an immigration lawyer and has interned at a family law office. Her experience as a fluent bilingual (spanish/english) has allowed her to volunteer as an interpreter/translator for attorneys and clients. Nayeli is very passionate about helping her community. She understands the barriers that can arise for many students and parents that navigate through the process of seeking a higher education. As an undergraduate admission counselor, she hopes to become a resource that will allow many to reach their dreams and achieve their educational goals. Nayeli es una ex estudiante universitaria transferida y de primera generación de la Universidad de Santa Clara. Antes de convertirse en consejera de admisión de pregrado, Nayeli trabajó como asistente de abogado para un abogado de inmigración y realizó una pasantía en una oficina de derecho de familia. Su experiencia como bilingüe con fluidez (español / inglés) le ha permitido ser voluntaria como intérprete / traductora para abogados y clientes. A Nayeli le apasiona ayudar a su comunidad. Ella comprende las barreras que pueden surgir para muchos estudiantes y padres que atraviesan el proceso de buscar una educación superior. Como consejera de admisión de pregrado, espera convertirse en un recurso que permitirá a muchos alcanzar sus sueños y alcanzar sus metas educativas.
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Zucel Aguilar
Associate Director of Admission (Events & Community Engagement)
Zucel is a San Jose native and is passionate about improving college access for all students. As a first generation and former transfer student, she is passionate about supporting students through the college application process. Jesuit education has played a large role in her life--hopefully, it will for you too.
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Derrick Hwa
Assistant Director of Admission (Marketing & Communications)
Derrick grew up in the Bay Area before heading down to Southern California to get his bachelors and masters degree. He is now back in the Bay Area serving as an Assistant Director in the Undergraduate Admissions Office. He is passionate in supporting students to discover their identities and achieve their goals. In this role, he hopes to increase college access and to be a resource for students to understand the college application process and how college can be used as a tool to achieve their dreams and passions.
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Jasmine Jimenez
Undergraduate Admission Counselor
Jasmine is a San Jose native and first-generation college transfer student from Santa Clara University. As a first gen. Latina, Jasmine is familiar with the challenges minority students face in higher education. Jasmine is passionate about helping the Spanish-speaking community and has used her interpreting and translating skills to help Spanish speakers navigate through their immigration application process during her internship at the International Rescue Committee. As an Admission Counselor, she aspires to be a source of support and advocacy for first generation students seeking to break barriers and succeed in their higher education journey.
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Kristin Burckhard
Senior Associate Director of Admission (Marketing & Communications)
Kristin grew up in a small town in Connecticut and relocated to California as a young adult. After attending college in Southern California, she settled in the Bay Area where she grew her family and built a successful high-tech marketing career alongside some of the brightest Silicon Valley minds. As a strong believer in both the value of education and the youth of today, Kristin's career aspirations shifted toward academia where she finds guiding prospective students through their journey an exciting and rewarding endeavor.
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Gaby Hughes
Associate Director of Admission (Marketing & Communications)
Gaby moved from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico when she was 8 years old and considers herself a San Jose native. Her experience in non-profit, private business, and start-up/tech sectors in the area has given her opportunities to really understand this very diverse community. As a first-generation college student, the love and support from her teachers was monumental for her enrollment and success. Gaby is a Spanish native speaker, has a heart for the immigrant communities and absolutely loves California for its beauty, endless possibilities and diversity.
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Carolyn Arroyo
Senior Associate Director of Admission (Events & Community Engagement)
Carolyn grew up in the East Bay Area with a passion to ensure all students have access to higher education with the most equitable admission process. As a first generation, Native Pacific Islander, she has been an advocate for the most underrepresented communities in higher education and grounds her work in relationship building. Carolyn hopes to be a resource to students and their families by helping them navigate through their journey into higher education and by providing multiple ways to engage with our community on campus.
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Adrian Ruiz
Associate Director of Admission (Transfer & International)
Adrian is a transplant to the Bay area after spending most of his life in Texas: splitting time between El Paso and Austin. Despite being new to the area, he has quickly come to love the food, the weather, the diversity, and most importantly, Santa Clara University. After 10 years working in college access in both the high school and university setting, Adrian has come to value the importance of educational equality and helping students understand that there isn't one linear path to achieving the dream of a college education.
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Ricky Bajwa
Admission Counselor (Diversity, Inclusion, and Outreach)
Ricky was born and raised in Berkeley and Richmond, CA. He now works in college admission with a specialization in diversity, equity, and inclusion/outreach. He’s travelled to New Zealand and India, and has lived in the Bay for a majority of his life.